Volunteer firefighters prepare to advance a line during a training exercise

Administrative

Administrative members are a key part of the fire and rescue team in Fairfax County. They:

participate in the business and administrative operations of the departments

provide indirect support in emergency situations and prevention activities

host community events throughout the County

serve on canteen calls to long-term incidents and large inter-agency drills throughout the region

act as standardized patients or “victims” for EMT practices for state exam skills sets. They are also needed whenever the Fire Academy and/or any volunteer departments need them for incident simulations, multi-unit drills, etc.

Without administrative members, new EMTs could not finish their training and pass state exams, interaction amongst departments would not be so skilled (through practice), and some stations might not be able to raise enough funds to keep in business.

Just as with operational members, administrative members are encouraged to volunteer and serve in any fellow department or County-wide events as they are qualified to do so. This includes participation in Fairfax County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association meetings, projects, teams, and management from a bird’s eye view. Administrative members are also encouraged to volunteer for inter-agency events such as mass casualty drills and such for area public safety, police, hospital, and other scenarios needing “in house” volunteers.

These roles include fundraising, station and equipment management, department leadership, community relations, fire prevention, health screening, and recruiting.

Administrative membership is an excellent opportunity for individuals who want to be part of the team and serve their larger community in a variety of ways. For those currently not able to qualify as operational members, joining now and learning the ropes administratively is a great way to get a jump start for when one can apply as operationally. Administrative members go through much of the same initial training as operational members do. Such training in general operations, patient privacy, and practical education is useful and can be applicable in one’s life and service to others.

Many of 12 departments welcome applications for administrative members, depending upon size and needs of each department. Learn more about how to apply.